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Wheel of Fortune (2)/Wheel In Popular Culture
Wheel was given a parody in Cracked magazine (issue #222) in September 1, 1986. On an October 15, 1986 episode of St. Elsewhere called "Brand New Bag", Dr. Mark Craig (played by William Daniels) can be briefly seen watching an episode of Wheel on TV in bed while holding a small pink stress ball in his hand. NOTE: The episode title is a reference to a classic 1965 song by the late godfather of soul James Brown called "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag". Wheel was given a mentioned in the March 15, 1987 issue of Bloom County featuring Opus the Penguin watching an episode of the show and turning into an eggplant. Wheel was given a parody in the Archie comic spinoff called Betty & Me issue #160 in August 1987 however, the specifics are unknown. On the November 19, 1987 episode of The Real Ghostbusters called "The Devil to Pay", the ghostbusters were trapped in an underworld game show, the first round was a Wheel-like round called Spikes, which was played under normal Hangman rules. Winston Zeddmore (voiced by Arsenio Hall) was asked to guess a 20-letter word in three tiers. Each incorrect guess caused a stick under Ray Stantz to vanish. Missing all three would cause Ray to fall into a pit of spikes. The first two tries, Winston guess wrong letters (both were vowels "I" & "O"). The third try was when Winston was caught in a swirl which caused him to guess the right answer and win the first round; although they somehow knew it beforehand. NOTE: This episode also features similarities to Let's Make a Deal'' and Double Dare as well. Wheel was parodied twice in the Foxtrot comic in May 17, 1988 where Jason watching the daytime version while his mother tries to get him help with the computer. Amusingly, the dialogue and puzzleboard shot from the TV date the Wheel episode to between August 1980 and December 1981: the host uses Chuck Woolery's "One, two, three of them!" style, the puzzleboard has three lines and the late Jack Clark is mentioned by name. The puzzle, OBESEQUIOUS OPAQUE SQUID, is solved with just the Q's. Another one in 2008 has Jason hacking into the show's puzzle's database and the puzzle ends up being PAIGE FOX IS UGLY, prompting Paige to call the show. Jason tells her "I'll let you do the next one". A July 4, 1988 issue of Broadcasting Magazine features an ad for the formerly popular American "info-tainment" news magazine show A Current Affair version (with the vowels "U" and "I" respectively missing in action) where it briefly spoofs Wheel (mainly the puzzleboard) as it tops the show in key demos for its main purpose to "Reinventing the Wheel". A_Current_Affair_Wheel_Spoof_1988-07-04_P1.png A_Current_Affair_Wheel_Spoof_1988-07-04_P2.png An October 1988 issue of Smithsonian MagazineRobot Vanna, Trashy Presidents and Steak as Health Food: Samsung Sells Tomorrowfeatures an ad for Samsung Electronics (created by David Deutch Associates) where a gold female robot is wearing a blonde wig, fuchsia gown and expensive jewelry turning the letter "T" crookedly on a old puzzleboard as its implies that Wheel of Fortune will become the most "Longest-Running game show" in "2012 A.D." as the company insisted that this would be "The VCR you'll tape it on" in "2012 A.D." as one of "The Future of Electronics". This inspired Vanna White on suing the company for her image although it depicted a robot, the company was trying to capitalize on her identity for promotional purposes without compensating her. White argued that there was a common law right to control how her likeness is used, even though Samsung doesn't explicitly use her name or image. This "right to persona" argument was thrown out in a lower court, but in White v. Samsung Electronics America Inc.White v. Samsung Electronics Inc., 971 F.2d 1395 (9th Cir. 1992)it was ruled that White indeed had the right to control her persona under the Lathan Trademark Act and California common law. In the 1988 film Scrooged (originally released on November 17, 1988) during a homeless shelter scene, a brief clip of Wheel can be seen on TV. Scrooged_Wheel_of_Fortune.png Scrooged_Wheel_of_Fortune_Scene_2.png In the 1988 film Rain Man (originally released on December 12, 1988) a brief clip of Wheel can be seen on TV in a hotel room. Rain_Man_Wheel_of_Fortune_Scene_1.png Rain_Man_Wheel_of_Fortune_scene_2.png Rain_Man_Wheel_of_Fortune_scene_3.png ADDITIONAL NOTE: Other game shows that were seen as clips on TV were: Sale of the Century, its' sister show Jeopardy! & Pyramid. In the 1988 TV special called Siskel & Ebert Holiday Video Gift Guide, Wheel was briefly mentioned and shown on TV in order to talk about its TV Play Along handheld unit by Mattel. On a January 19, 1989 episode of Sale of the Century (#Episode 1543 Jackie/Ray/Philly) where the first Instant Bargain had a less-than-subtle parody of Vanna White with the prize backdrop that resembling the Wheel turntable. The 1989 "Weird Al" Yankovic-driven comedy film (originally July 21, 1989) UHF features some of the game shows that are parodied on the U62 TV schedule such as, The Lice is Right ''(The Price is Right), ''Beat the Loanshark (Beat the Clock), Name that Stain ''(Name That Tune), ''You Bet Your Pink Slip (You Bet Your Life), and Wheel of Fish, which is a parody of Wheel of Fortune. In the September 23, 1989 episode of Pee-Wee's Playhouse called "Fire in the Playhouse" where Wheel was given a brief homage for the segment called "Food in Refrigerator". The gameplay was for the most part as the show was spoofing; included was a puzzleboard tray full of ice cubes and a asparagus with female features did Vanna's job. There was a brief misspell with the letters "B" and "N" as it spelled "Peabut Nutter" but it later corrected itself as "Peanut Butter". Pee-Wee's_Playhouse_Wheel_of_Pizza_1.png Pee-Wee's_Playhouse_Wheel_of_Pizza_2.png Pee-Wee's_Playhouse_Wheel_of_Pizza_3.png Pee-Wee's_Playhouse_Wheel_of_Pizza_4.png Pee-Wee's_Playhouse_Wheel_of_Pizza_5.png Pee-Wee's_Playhouse_Wheel_of_Pizza_6.png Pee-Wee's_Playhouse_Wheel_of_Pizza_7.png Pee-Wee's_Playhouse_Wheel_of_Pizza_8.png Pee-Wee's_Playhouse_Wheel_of_Pizza_9.png Pee-Wee's_Playhouse_Wheel_of_Pizza_10.png The Super Mario Bros. Super Show A few episodes featured Wheel. On Her Majesty's Sewer Service in the October 10, 1989 episode, a spoof called "Wheel of Misfortune" appears. NOTE: The episode is a referenced to the classic 1969 James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". Cyrano de Mario In the November 27, 1989 episode, it featured an appearance by Vanna White as Roxanne. In the L.A. Law episode called "Vowel Play" (a spoof of the term "Foul Play") from 1990, Douglas Brackman Jr. (played by Alan Rachins) appears on Wheel and ends up getting a date with Vanna White. NOTE: This was based on the short-lived NBC daytime version hosted by Bob Goen not the syndicated nighttime version hosted by Pat Sajak. A 1990 episode of Tiny Toon Adventures called "The Wheel o' Comedy" began with an episode theme that was abruptly canceled out. So it was replaced by the wheel which featured the characters faces instead of dollar amounts. For each act, they spin a special wheel to determine the characters that star in each segment. It was used again in another episode called The Buster Bunny Bunch (a parody of The Mickey Mouse Club). A Wheel reference was made in the original 1990s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film (originally released on March 30, 1990) where it involves Donatello spinning around Michelangelo on his shell as he yells: "Hey Donny, Wheel of Fortune dude!" while knocking down several Foot Soldiers on the floor as Donatello responded: "Hmm, I guess they're not game show fans!" Then Michelangelo responded back to him by saying: "And I thought everybody loved Vanna!" In the 1990 film Captain America during a hospital scene, a brief clip of Wheel can be seen on TV. ADDTIONAL NOTE: This film was originally released in the United Kingdom (U.K.) on December 14, 1990 before it was released in America on July 22, 1992. In a 1991 episode of Super Mario World called "Rock TV" where King Koopa's (or Bowser's) flashback of a trip to Earth includes either Wheel or a parody of it, as part of his remembering how television can put people in a near-vegetative state. NOTE: This episode as a whole was essentially a commentary on television addiction, as the FCC had enacted the Children's Television Act the previous year. The Simpsons The series had a few episode that references Wheel. Homer Defined In the 1991 episode, the residents of Springfield Castle are watching TV when they turn the channel from a news bulletin (about a potentially life-threatening crisis at Springfield Nuclear Power Plant) to a channel which was not pre-empted regular programming … and the show is Wheel, there, a contestant missolves the puzzle "THREE COINS IN A FOUNTAINS" (by saying "LOINS" instead of coins) Brother From the Same Planet In the 1993 episode, Homer is seen watching Wheel with the puzzle "I'M ON MY WAY" (Phrase), Marge reminds him to pick up Bart from his soccer game while she leaves the house, but mistakes his solving the puzzle as a response to her. ADDITIONAL NOTE: The puzzle board uses the 1981 border with three lines of 11 trillions each, albeit with four of them in the corners (clearly blocked by the frame); the remaining 29 trillions have a shape and layout that were used much later by ICE for its Wheel games. The category chyron appears to be based on the third Helvetica style. Introduced in February or March 1985. Pranksta Rap In the 2005 episode, Santa Little Helper's changes channel by barking (he had accidentally swallowed the remote where the Spanish-language version of Wheel called Rueda de Fortuna (at least its logo) briefly appears. NOTE: The title of the episode is a reference of the term "Gangsta Rap". A small tribute was made to Wheel in an episode of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic (voiced by Jaleel White) imitates Charlie O'Donnell, the show's veteran announcer as he runs over an open pit in Robotnik's escape-proof prison. Animaniacs has a share of Wheel spoofs. The recurring skit is called The Wheel of Morality near the end of episodes when the show is short of time. This segment was created to satirize the FCC's requirement of adding moral and educational value to children's programming. The segment would usually open with the siblings dashing through a park nd then coming to a halt with Yakko saying "It's that time again!" after Dot and Wakko would try to guess what it was time for, Yakko would say it was time to learn the lesson of the day and then bring out the titular wheel. He would then spin the wheel while saying the rhyme "Wheel of Morality, turn, turn, turn! Tell us the lesson that we should learn!" After the wheel stopped on a certain number, it would print out the corresponding moral, which was a goofy and nonsensical one as Yakko would read it aloud. The Warners would often give some comments on the "moral". The segments always ended with Ralph the Guard blowing his whistle from offscreen and chasing the Warners. One episode ended with Yakko about to make his announcement, only to have Dot and Wakko protest they are sick of this segment as the "lessons" are nonsense. When asked whose foolish idea it was in the first place. Yakko responds with "The executives at the Fox Kids Network" causing Wakko and Dot to suddenly stop complaining and feigning their support for the Wheel of Morality implying the show will be canceled should this segment be discontinued. In the episode "Win Big" (originally September 14, 1993) one of the channels spoofed Wheel as Wheel of Misfortune in one of Pinky & The Brains' TV. ADDITIONAL NOTE: Other game shows that were spoofed in this episode were: The $10,000 Pile of Mud (Pyramid) and Gyp-Parody a parody of Wheel's sister show (Jeopardy!) In the episode "Bumbi's Mom" (originally September 22, 1993), Skippy and Aunt Slappy are seeing Bumbi (parody of Bambi). When Skippy sees that Bumbi's mom is dead, he cries and then wakes Aunt Slappy making her say, "Pat, I'd like to buy a vowel." In the 1993 video game platformer called Oscar released for the Amiga CD32 and MS-DOS, it had a level called "GameShow Level" with "Game Show" displayed as one word. The level is filled with elements based off of popular game show, more specifically Wheel of Fortune. In addition, the level's background music on the Amiga CD32 version appears to be loosely based off of the show' classic theme song "Changing Keys". In the 1994 episode of Beakman's World called "Ants, Beakmania & Collisions" the show was briefly parodied as Wheel of Collisions. Beakmam's_World_Wheel_of_Collisions_1.png Beakman's_World_Wheel_of_Collisions_2.png In the 1995 episode of Bill Nye: The Science Guy called "Energy" the show was briefly parodied as Wheel of Energy. In the 1996 episode of Rocko's Modern Life called "Hef in a Handbasket", Heffer becomes a contestant on the game show called Triple 6 hosted by a hooded-wearing devil named Peaches. Wheel was the fourth and final round, where Heffer spins the big wheel and guesses the puzzle "BIG FAT COW" while the wheel is still spinning. NOTES: The show's title is a parody of the term "Hell in a Handbasket" The episode also parodies rounds of Wheel's companion show Jeopardy!, Family Feud and Pyramid. The set of Wheel (more specifically the 1997 era) was used and could be seen in the VH1 special Game Show a-Go-Go hosted by Wink Martindale. The Weird Al Show episode "Talent Show" (original airdate November 7, 1997) was given a homage when Cousin Corky and Weird Al watched a parody of the show on their TV called, "Spin the Wheel" where the contestant spins the wheel in hopes for cash and prizes. The wedges on the wheel included a Sports Car, $1,000,000, $100,000, a Yacht, a Dream House, a Hawaiian Vacation, $50,000, an Island, $5,000, and a spin again wedge. Unfortunately, the contestant playing in that episode constantly landed on the "Spin Again" wedge and had to spin the wheel until she was tired and gave up. (Note: Surprisingly, the title of this parody game show later became the 2019 FOX game show hosted by Dax Shepard, but it plays similar to The Big Spin as this is a spinoff of it.) On the December 5, 1997 episode of Extreme Ghostbusters called "The Spinhx" when Eduardo puts back up the TV, a brief clip from an episode of Wheel can be seen. ADDITIONAL NOTE: a clip from its brother show Jeopardy! can be seen in the episode as well as all three shows are owned by Sony. It was also given homage on an episode of the popular Nicktoon Doug called "Doug vs. The Klotzoid Zombies"; the show was instead called Wheel of Snacks, but it had nothing to do with the actual format or play elements of the game. Instead, the host (Roger Klotz as Dr. Klotzenstein) was using the show as a means of making use of his hypnotic snacks (Zombie Chips, Greasy Puffs, etc.) that turn people into zombielike slaves when they eat them. Quailman (Doug in a faux superhero costume) stops Klotzenstein's plan and breaks the spell over the contestants and audience using beets, cancelling the show and bringing Klotzenstein to justice. In the 4th episode of Mighty Max’s second season of 1994, titled The Missing Linked; Virgil, one of Max's sidekicks (Norman being the other), sends Max a message that appears on Max's TV as he watches a Wheel-like game show where a contestant is seen solving a puzzle. The puzzle (and message, for that matter) was "MIGHTY MAX GO TO 4TH & ELM". Mighty_Max_The_Missing_Linked_P1.png Mighty_Max_The_Missing_Linked_P2.png Mighty_Max_The_Missing_Linked_P3.png Mighty_Max_The_Missing_Linked_P4.png In a Sesame Street segment, there was a game show called "Squeal of Fortune" (parody of Wheel's name) and hosted by Pat Playjacks (portrayal of Pat Sajak) and Velma Blank (portrayal of Vanna White). The contestants were Prairie Dawn and Count von Count, rather than three contestants as normal. In the game, the contestant would have to guess how many times the pig (located in the wheel) would squeal while spinning. The contestant would spin afterwards and count the squeals from the pig. Count won the game because he guessed the right number of squeals. At the end of the game, the prizes are shown and the contestant would have to pick any prize in the studio (portrayal of the Shopping Round) but instead, Count chooses the pig. Squeal.jpg Family Guy Wheel has been spoofed on a few episodes of this show. A Hero Sits Next Door In this episode (Aired May 2, 1999) where both Chris and Peter watch Wheel together as the puzzle reads "GO _UCK YOURSELF __" but the contestant solves it as "GO TUCK YOURSELF IN". Family_Guy_Go_uck_Yourself.png Family_Guy_WOF_Contestants.png Family_Guy_Go_Tuck_Yourself_In.png I Take Thee Quagmire In this episode (Aired: March 12, 2006), Peter Griffin was a contestant on Wheel. Pat was not voiced by himself but was instead voiced by Stephan Cox. Peter's bonus round puzzle, in the category "Actor and Show" (a variant of "Star and Role") was "ALEX KARRAS IN WEBSTER"; he used the letter Z, the number 4, three Qs and the Batman symbol for his help letters as of which they didn't "help" at all (five consonants and a vowel, as per the original rules), and managed to solve the puzzle by means of taking "a shot in the dark". He then is allowed to select prizes to buy in the Showcase, a reference to the Shopping era on Wheel. After he is nearly done choosing his prizes, Peter says, "Hey, how much for the fat guy in the circle?" And Pat says, "Oh, that's you." Family_Guy_Wheel_of_Fortune.png Family_Guy_Wheel_of_Fortune_1.png Family_Guy_Wheel_of_Fortune_2.png Family_Guy_Wheel_of_Fortune_3.png Family_Guy_Wheel_of_Fortune_4.png Family_Guy_Wheel_of_Fortune_5.png Family_Guy_Wheel_of_Fortune_6.png Family_Guy_Wheel_of_Fortune_7.png Family_Guy_Wheel_of_Fortune_8.png Family_Guy_Wheel_of_Fortune_9.png Family_Guy_Wheel_of_Fortune_10.png Fammily_Guy_Wheel_of_Fortune_11.png NOTE: This episode also has a brief reference to its sister show Jeopardy! as well. Family Guy Viewer Mail#2 In the episode called (Aired: May 20, 2012) as a segment called "Chap of the Manor" it briefly had a Wheel parody called "Wheel of Politeness", this was the episode where The Griffins turned British. Family_Guy_Wheel_of_Politeness_Titlecard.png Family_Guy_Wheel_of_Politeness.png Brian the Closer In the episode (Aired: November 9, 2014), when Brian selects Quagmire to be his "sucker" to buy a bad condo, a small model arrives and touches his teeth in the style of the current puzzleboard from Wheel of Fortune. Family Guy BTC P1.png Family_Guy_BtC_P2.png In the South Park episode "With Apologies to Jesse Jackson" Randy Marsh (Stan's father) appears on an episode of Wheel as he goes to the bonus round with the category "PEOPLE WHO ANNOY YOU". His three letters were "BNG" and the vowel "O" as it resulted in the word "N_GGERS". However, he accidentally said the N-word when the actually solution to the bonus round puzzle was in fact "NAGGERS". It stirred controversy from the African-American crowd as Randy's son becomes a social outcast. On the short-lived Claymation series The PJs, the main character Thurgood Stubbs' favorite show to watch is Wheel of Fortune. In the Rugrats episode "Chuckie is Rich", Pat Sajak is also the spokesman for a Publishers Clearing House-like multi-million dollar sweepstakes that Chas wins, and Chas' reaction is exactly what would happen if he was a contestant on Wheel. Vanna White doesn't appear. However, his son, Pat Sajak Jr., makes an appearance as one of the children at the daycare center for wealthy children. After Elmo watches a video about shoes on the popular Sesame Street ending segment, Elmo's World, there is a parody mentioned called "Heel of Fortune". Another cartoon that caught the Wheel bug was the original Pound Puppies. For in one particular episode, Cooler posed as Pat Sajak (his alias was actually Pat Cool-jak) while Nose Marie pretended to be Vanna White (aka Vanna Woof), all to rescue a puppy named Pupnik (who hailed from "Mongrowlia" play on the country Mongolia) from two spy dogs. Still another cartoon attracted by Wheel was A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. Here, Shaggy & Scooby were contestants on a Wheel-like game show called For Letter or Worse (spoof of the term For Better or for Worse). But it was temporarily interrupted by the ghost of Al Capone. Later on in the episode, the gang used this show to trap the ghost and brought it back on the air. Shaggy & Scooby went on to win the game and won a year supply of comic books & Scooby Snacks. In the February 15, 2013 episode of Disney Channel's Gravity Falls called "Boss Mabel", Wheel is parodied as Cash Wheel in which Grunkle Stan (a.k.a. Stan Pines) frequently watches the show and much later appears as a contestant on the show as well. In the May 19, 2013 episode of The Cleveland Show called "Wheel! of! Family!" which was a reference to Wheel of Fortune, but this was in part of creating a wheel with the kids and their activities. In the 2014 episode of the short-lived Comedy Central animated series BrickleberryConnie Cunaham's "Wheel of Fortune" - Brickleberry (Video)called "That Brother's My Father" (Similar to Ed Grimley) Connie Cunaman (voiced by Roger Black) develops an unhealthy obsession with Wheel host Pat Sajak as he gets kidnapped by her and becomes a hostage to the wheel of fortune. Brickleberry_Wheel_of_Fortune.png Brickleberry_The_Daily_Planner.png Brickleberry_Connie_Holding_a_Photo_of_Pat_Sajak.png Brickleberry_Wheel_Auditions_Today.png Brickleberry_I_Love_Wheel.png Brickleberry_The_Cat_in_the_Hat.png In the Dinosaurs episode "We Are Not Alone", Earl changes the channels on the TV at the end of the episode and one of the channels has a man saying, "Okay, Pat, I'd like to buy a vowel!" In Shalom Sesame, a Jewish version of Sesame Street, there was a game show called "Dreidel of Fortune" hosted by Jeremy Miller (taking over Pat Sajak) and Lavana White (portrayed by Alison Bartlett, a parody of Vanna White). Jeremy would spin the wheel and the contestant must guess what symbol of the dreidel it is. If he/she is right, then Lavana turns the correct symbol and shows it (in reference to the puzzleboard). Robot Chicken This series had a share of a few Wheel references. Easter Basket In this episode from 2006, a short WOF skit has Pat Sajak (voiced by Seth Green) telling a Pirate contestant: "Sorry, but there are no R's." The Godfather of the Bride Part 2 In this episode from 2011, while the Nerd is falling asleep in his dream, K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider briefly crashes onto the set of Wheel of Fortune. An obscure flash internet cartoon from the late 90s called Pookie Poo has also parodied Wheel hosted by Saint Patjack (a parody of Pat Sajak) and Vanity White (a parody of Vanna White) with the eponymous character bringing his attitude to the show. in the episode the puzzle, "FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF LIGHT" (under the category of "Famous Sayings") is accidentally solved by the main character while he threatens to hurt Patjack. ADDITIONAL NOTE: The Wheel layout seems to be somewhat based on an earlier nighttime episode, albeit with two $1,000 wedges plus $650 and $950; in addition, the color on the "Lose A Turn" wedge is red instead of yellow or white. Vanna White guest-starred on an episode of Full House called "The Test" from 1994 where she first played herself in a nightmare DJ Tanner (Candice Cameron-Bure) had about taking her SAT and failed and would be going to CLOWN U while her friend Kimmy (Andrea Barber) passed and would be going to Stanford and also getting DJ's boyfriend Steve (Scott Weinger (voice of Disney's Aladdin)). Vanna later played a teacher named Mrs. Moffatt after DJ woke up and took the test for real. Dorothy Lyman of Mama's Family also guest starred. In 2002, a #7 cover issue of the Marvel Comic book named Marville, featuring a red-headed character standing behind a 1997 era puzzleboard doing a Vanna White-esque like hand gesture in a white skimpy bikini as it says the word "EPIC". In a 1986 episode of 227 called The Wheel of Misfortune, Mary Jenkins (Marla Gibbs) & Sandra Clark (Jackee Harry) played the game and lost to a fish-loving fisherman named Rusty Lewis (Jim Doughan). Rusty solved the first puzzle with just one letter; that would happen for real in the 28th season by a contestant named Caitlin Burke (in that same episode, there was an end-of-the-show tribute to late announcer Charlie O'Donnell who passed away that same week). More recently, a male contestant named Robert achieved the same thing, but during a Toss-Up round. Wheel was given a mentioned in a 1985 episode of Knight Rider called "Circus Knight" but only the title was mentioned and not the format. It was the name of one of the carnival games at "Circus Major" where Michael Knight (played by David Hasselhoff) did his investigations. On The A-Team in which its episode in 1986 was appropriately titled "Wheel of Fortune", "Howling Mad" Murdock (played by Dwight Schultz) uses his partner Templeton "Face" Peck's (played by Dirk Benedict) system to win. In between shows he was kidnapped by a group of criminals who wants to use that system for their own personal gains. When HM was free, he returned to the show, and by solving the bonus puzzle, he won a trip to Hawaii supposedly for him & Face, but instead he won it for him and a girl named Jody Joy (Lydia Cornell [of Too Close for Comfort fame]) whom HM ran into during the chase. A 1995 short bumper for Cartoon Network features Smurfette from The Smurfs skipping along as she touches the letter R on the logo. In the 1996 crime thriller film Ransom, a brief clip of Wheel can be seen on tv in front of multiple televisions in somebody's house. The Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? episode “Hot Ice” has C.H.I.E.F asking Pat for a vowel & consonant while trying to get Carmen to leave while she is hacking. The Chimp Channel involved—you guessed it—Monkeys. Notably, one player tries to solve without spinning (which is normally allowed) although "Pat" Tells her that she has to spin. On The Television did a Wheel sketch done sometime during the 1989-90 period called Wheel of Misfortune, created by a slightly alternate Merv Griffin. While the “roulette meets hangman” concept is mostly the same, some parts are taken very literally. In 2011, The Disney Channel sketch comedy show So Random! (a spin-off of Sonny With A Chance) did two terrible WOF parodies. One of them is called All-Star Wheel of Fortune; in it the three teen celebrities Fred Figgelhorn (Chad Dylan Cooper by Sterling Knight), Taylor Swift (Tawni Hart by [[Tiffany Thornton]]) & Willow Smith (Nico Harris by Brandon Mychal Smith) play the game but their personalities get in the way, with Fred being obnoxious, Taylor singing about everything and Willow whipping her hair around to the point that the game barely progresses. The sketch ends with Vanna tearing off a part of the puzzle board, hitting Fred Figglehorn unconscious. Another Wheel sketch was called All Magic Students Wheel of Fortune featuring Harry Potter (Shayne Zimbo by Shayne Topp), Rebeus Hagrid (Grady Mitchell by Doug Brochu), Gollum/Smeagol (Damien Johanssen by Damien Haa) and the Twilight Trio: Edward Cullen (Matthew Bailey [played by Matthew Scott Montgomery), Bella Swan (Tawni Hart) & Jacob Black (Chad Dylan Cooper) competed. In addition to playing as Harry Potter in the 2nd skit, Shayne Zimbo played as Pat Sajak on both Skits. ADDITIONAL NOTE: (Did You Know That...In the 2nd WOF skit Gollum played by Damien Johanssen references the NBC 2010-2011 primetime game show ''Minute to Win It.)'' In Living Color contributed to the Wheel franchise, too. Here, it was called Wheel of Dozens hosted by Stu Dufny (Nick Bakay) in which the wheel was fully calibrated with "Yo Mama" jokes; it was where three contestants gave a punchline to complete the "Yo Mama" term landed on. Saturday Night Live (SNL) The series did a few spoofs of "America's Game", Wheel of Fortune (2006) starting in 2006 with Tom Hanks playing as Pat Sajak. In the sketch, the contestants can't figure out the phrase "By The Skin of Your Teeth". The sketch ends with Sajak (played by Hanks) hugging the three little "dum-dums" and quitting the show. Million Dollar Wheel Another Wheel parody debuting in 2013 just simply titled as Million Dollar Wheel featuring guest host Melissa McCarthy playing as a replacement hostess who had less than no idea of her purpose. NOTE: Interestingly, the Wheel layout for this parody uses $650, $850 and $950 spaces. Martin Short's alter ego Ed Grimley, a hyperactive manchild mostly is a big fan of Pat Sajak in particular. Mad magazine (October 1986) featured a parody of Wheel titled We'll Make a Fortune written by Dick DeBartolo (a longtime MAD contributor who has also written for several Goodson-Todman game shows, most notably Match Game) and drawn by Will Elder and Harvey Kurtzman. Much later, an installment of the Monroe and... comic (a then-recurring featured written by Anthony Barbieri and drawn by Billy Wray) featured the title character competing on Wheel. Sajak was also caricatured in this Mad TV also did a few Wheel spoofs, with a Celebrity Couples Week with Freddie Prinze Jr. & Sarah Michelle Gellar, Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, & Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton. Another one is a special Goverment Workers episode where the contestants make incorrect guesses on purpose. The last one features Pamela Anderson as a hot contestant along with Jordan Peele and Nicole Parker as contestants. Cartoon Network's Mad series did a Wheel spoof called Monkey Wheel of Fortune in the episode "Demise of the Planet of the Apes/The Celebrity Ape-rentice" in 2011. MAD - MONKEY WHEEL OF FORTUNE PART 1 MAD - MONKEY WHEEL OF FORTUNE PART 2 MAD - MONKEY WHEEL OF FORTUNE PART 3 In 2003, a commercial for the phone Sony EricssonSony Ericsson - Wheel of Fortune (2003) - 0:30 (USA) mobile phones briefly featured a guy competing on an episode of Wheel. It actually turns out he was playing it on his phone and dreaming like he was on the real show, eventually getting interrupted by a phone call. In 2008, a series of commercials by Lexus for one of the car company's then-new line of hybrid models showed various places the letter H vacated in favor of the car models' tags. One of these was Wheel, using the then-current set and a puzzle that reads "_APPY BIRT_DAY". Pat and Vanna were not present, their positions blocked from view by a staffer and another contestant, respectively. The concept, however, falls flat due to the contestant (Andrea) trying to solve the puzzle immediately after spinning the wheel, a move which is against the rules and would hence merit the buzzer that sounds afterwards. Strangely, unlike other appearances that used the top dollar value, the space landed on is not the famous silver $5,000, but the blue $600 space nearby. In 2010, a commercial for the TX7 Cyber-Shot camera by Sony featuring singer Taylor Swift a brief cameo appearance of the wheel from Wheel of Fortune is being pulled by a stage hand. In 2016, a commercial for the mobile game version of Wheel features a family competing on the set of Wheel while the young daughter solves the puzzle under the category of "Phrase" as "How Sweet It Is". ADDITIONAL NOTE: The son was "Pat/Host" while the old lady was "Vanna/Letter-Toucher". In 2017, a commercial for Wheel of Fortune Free Play features host Pat Sajak on the set of Wheel by sitting in his chair playing the mobile game while the current puzzleboard says "Wheel of Fortune Free Play". A 1986 Song by Dr. Dave (Dave Kolin) which was released on TSR Records #852 and frequently heard on The Dr. Demento Show. A parody of “The Letter” by The Box Tops, it describes a contestant on Wheel and mentions Bankrupt, Losa A Turn, the Final Spin chimes, The Bonus Round, the home game, and shopping for prizes. The song ends with the singer/contestant expressing shock at the fact that a black-and-white 5'' portable TV set costs $500. (You got ripped off, man.) A partial rewrite of the song, believed to have been performed by Gerg Barhill, was used in a 1987 promo for CBS affliate WWL-TV in New Orleans. The ad includes footage from several early season 4 episodes (one of which has the third starburst backdrops), plus an answer of NEW ORLEANS being revealed. ''Wheel was also given a homage in The Nanny, in the episode "Schlepped Away". The family was watching the show on the TV in Grandma Silvia's apartment while eating dinner. In the 2000 biographical film Erin Brockovich a brief clip of Wheel can be seen on TV. Erin_Brockovich_Wheel_of_Fortune_scene_1.png Erin_Brockovich_Wheel_of_Fortune_scene_2.png In the first Open Season movie from 2006, Boog the Bear (voiced by Martin Lawrence) is watching Wheel of Fortune on his TV but his master and him fight over the on off switch until he decides to go to bed. It's obviously appropriate because Open Season and Wheel of Fortune are both owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. The DVD of the movie also has “Wheel of Fortune: Forest Edition”, where instead of word puzzles, pictures videos & sounds are used; also, the wheel is 4 spaces instead of the usual 24. Also, as a result, Wheel of Fortune eventually gave away an Open Season prize. Wheel's companion show Jeopardy! also had a few references and appearances as well. The first was in 1986; Wheel of Fortune was one of the Double Jeopardy! categories but only four of the clues were played (one of them was a Daily Double clue). The next, in the mid 90's (while the trilon based board was still in use) is mostly unknown. Notably, once the category was finished a clip was shown of Vanna next to the puzzle board that reads: THANKS ALEX! Despite this, there is no known record of the show using exclamation points on the show itself until May 13, 2004; a puzzle that reads "JEOPARDY PREMIERES" in September of 1995 did not use one. The second time, which debuted originally on October 4, 2001, the category was titled "Wheel of Jeopardy!"; unlike the other games, the correct responses were not shown. In June 2004, during Ken Jennings' historic winning streak, one of the first round categories was JEOPARDY! OF FORTUNE. The clues in this category were revealed by Vanna on the puzzle board in a manner similar to the Toss-Up Puzzles. WHEEL OF JEOPARDY! was a second round category for April 25, 2007 although the $1,600 puzzle "POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCES" uses the top three lines when it could have easily fit on two. Interestingly, none of the puzzles used all four lines, and the "solved" puzzles are shown in a cropped format reminiscent of the original three-line board. Other times on Jeopardy!, both Pat and Vanna have been featured as clue givers: When both shows taped in New York City's Madison Square Garden in the Fall of 1999, only one episode (airing on November 16, 1999) Vanna shopped at Christian Dior and gave a clue about Elizabeth Taylor wearing a Dior gown when she won her first oscar for the 1960 flim Butterfield 8. Another episode (airing on January 4, 2000) Bob Goen gave a clue about Edd Byrnes for a category about "TV Pilots", while mentioning both of their connections to Wheel in the process. (NOTE: Perhaps coincidentally, this episode in particular aired very close to Wheel’s 35th anniversary). During the College Championship Quarterfinals game 2 (airing February 2, 2012), Vanna demonstrated a clue about "planking" in front of the current puzzle board. During the Teen Tournament Finals game 1 from DAR Constitution Hall (May 10, 2012), the category "Wheel of Movie Taglines" was true to its name and involved taglines for clues, and movies for correct responses. On another episode (airing April 2, 2013) Vanna gave an $800 clue about Ocho Rios in Jamaica for their "World Capitals" category. (NOTE: the clue itself was most likely taped while Wheel was taping its Sandals Resorts Week of shows, as the resort is located in Jamaica.) For the "I'd Like to Solve the Puzzle...Fast!" category on April 23, 2013, each clue was shown normally but the correct response was revealed as if the puzzle had been solved on Wheel (i.e., the remaining letters were quickly filled in). For the July 1, 2013 game, most likely to commemorate the upcoming July 4th holiday, a category was solely dedicated to Pat's time on Armed Forces Radio; with Pat giving each clue as a soundbyte and each clue displayed as normal. On a 1999 episode of Rock & Roll Jeopardy!, Bob Goen appeared as a celebrity contestant playing for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. (NOTE: His connection with the show was also mentioned in this episode.) In 2001, TV Guide ranked Wheel #25 as one of The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time. ''Prior to this, in 2013, ''Wheel again was ranked #2 as one of The 60 Greatest Game Shows of All Time. In 2002, Wheel was mentioned as a topic on VH1's nostalgic miniseries I Love the 80's 1986 episode. In 2005, Wheel was a documentary on the E! True Hollywood Story. In 2006, GSN ranked Wheel #6 as one of The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time. This special was hosted by Bil Dwyer. In the 1983 song called "Game Show Love" by Ray Stevens, Wheel was mentioned in this lyric as "Love's "Wheel of Fortune" was causing me pain". Wheel was mentioned in Billy Joel's 1989 hit song "We Didn't Start the Fire". In the 2005 song by R. Kelly called Trapped in the Closet, Wheel was briefly mentioned during Chapter 20 (a.k.a. "The Big Package", released in 2007) with the lyric: "I'm a go ahead and turn on the TV and watch me some "Wheel of Fortune". In the 1984 episode of Gimme a Break! called "The Big Apple: (Part 1)" Nell & Addy appear and compete on Wheel during Best Friends week. Nell has $7,600 and wants to win a car. But after the commercial break, she accidentally says "GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME A CAR!". Addy gets $2,700 and solves it correctly by saying "GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH! as she buys a trip for two to New York. In the 1986 debut episode of the Showtime sitcom, It's Garry Shandling's Show called "The Day Garry Moved In", Shandling's character moves into a condo previously owned by Vanna White. At one point, he fantasizes about an episode of Wheel where a contestant calls and "R" and solves "I STOLE GARRY SHANDLING'S FURNITURE", then goes shopping in a showcase of the said furniture. Although Vanna White makes an appearance in the sequence, her partner in crime Pat Sajak does not as an off-screen host who is only heard takes his place. In the 1988 episode of the long been cancelled and formerly popular NBC daytime soap opera Santa Barbara, Gina Lockbridge (played by Robin Mattson) is solving the much rather appropriate bonus round puzzle "BLACKMAIL" (Thing, having chosen "BKLNRI") just ahead of the buzzer, winning a grand total of $55,700. Her husband, shortly after hugging Vanna, gets pinched by Gina's earring. ADDITIONAL NOTE: It is not certain which version this was intended to be, partly since the Wheel is not seen clearly; the fact that both Santa Barbara and Wheel were on NBC at the time points to the daytime show and a large jackpot win, but the lack of a stated prize and no shots of center stage suggest the nighttime show and a $25,000 win. No announcer speaks or is shown, which may suggest it having been done after the late Jack Clark became too ill to continue working. In the Friends episode "The One with the Princess Leia Fantasy" from 1996, the contestant on Wheel was Michael Curtis (one of the writers of Friends) also the show was on Joey and Chandler Bing's apartment on TV as it shows the puzzle "_OUNT RUSH_ORE" to which Joey says: "These people are stupid, its Count Rushmore!" as Chandler response back "You know, you should really go on this show!" Friends_WOF_1.png Friends_WOF_2.png Friends_WOF_3.png In the Just Shoot Me! episode "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn" from 2000, a clip of Wheel is shown where Nina's name is the solution to the puzzle under the category of "PERSON". Nina_Van_H_n.png Pat_Sajak_Host_Wheel_of_Fortune.png In the The King of Queens episode "Inner Tube" from 2001; Doug, sick in bed watches an episode of Wheel on tv as he dreams that he, Arthur, and Carrie are on the set as contestants. Arthur calls a 4 and then calls an H, in which that letter was already up there. Just as Carrie is about to solve the puzzle, calling Doug Hefferman is a big fat liar, Doug runs away from the wheel and touches the letters on the puzzleboard frantically. KOQ_WOF_1.png KOF_WOF_2.png KOQ_WOF_3.png KOQ_WOF_4.png KOQ_WOF_5.png KOQ_WOF_6.png KOF_WOF_7.png KOF_WOF_8.png KOQ_WOF_9.png (NOTE: the LED screen behind the wheel is shown to have the player colors from Retro Week.) In The Big Bang Theory episode "The Zarnecki Incursion" from 2011, Howard's mother, Mrs. Deborah "Debbie" Wolowitz (played by the late Carol Ann Susi) has a knack at solving puzzles on Wheel by using only sparse clues. A short-lived 2001 USA Network game show called Smush shares its similar gameplay elements with one of Wheel’s most long-running and popular category called "Before & After". A short-lived 2002-03 NBC primetime game show called Dog Eat Dog (based on the British show of the same name) has one of the challenges called Celebrity Three-Way which also shares its gameplay elements with one of Wheel’s long-running popular category called "Before & After". A short-lived 2011-12 NBC primetime game show called Who's Still Standing? (based on the Israelian show called Lauf al Hamiliyon) has a gameplay element that's similar to Wheel’s "Toss-up" round. A short-lived 2007-08 remake/revival of Sale of the Century called Temptation: The New Sale of the Century has a reboot of the "Fame Game" round that also shares a similar gameplay element to Wheel’s "Toss-Up" round. A short-lived 2011 reality show on CBS called Same Name somewhat shares its title with one of the categories from the show. A 2013 episode of Fox & Friends featured the cast playing a Wheel of Fortune-like mini-game called Wheel of Fun along with its props and software provided by The Game Show Source as part of "The Great American Game Show" week. In Addition, original Wheel host Chuck Woolery was scheduled to host in that particular episode, but got stuck in an airport and could not make it in time; therefore, Steve Doocy took his place. ADDITIONAL NOTE: Other game shows that were featured during the week are Survey Says! (Family Feud) and In It to Win It (Minute to Win It) In "The Rainy Day Numbers Show", an episode from Golden Step Ahead in 1986, there was a game show called Count on Fortune (parody of Wheel's name) hosted by Bob Bunny (portrayal of Pat Sajak and Bob Barker; played by Jumpin' Jack Rabbit) and Vanna Lamb (portrayal of Vanna White, played by Lamb). The contestants were Ralph Raccoon and Henrietta (played by Rock Raccoon and Meggie (a chick) respectively), rather than three contestants as normal. The cash values on the wheel are replaced with numbers 1-9 "The Wheel of Numbers", while the puzzles are replaced with math problems. A 2014 episode of the Comedy Central series Tosh.0 appropriately enough titled "Wheel of Fortune" hosted by Comedian Daniel Tosh features a "web redemption" sketch parody of Wheel where real-life contestant Julian Batts shows clips of his gameplay while joking about the show. In the sketch, Tosh plays as the host of the said parody who recruits Julian as a contestant for the highly-exaggerated version of the show against "Katie" and "Lenny". "Vanna" (parody of Vanna White) is a skeleton who collapses halfway through the round and is replaced by a much more attractive and busty model. Julian ultimately solves the puzzle (under the category of "FACT") "HILLARY CLINTON HAS A CL*T RING", which contains an obscenity for $48,030,010.97. In the bonus round, Julian is given the category "THE GAME SHOW YOU ARE ON RIGHT NOW" given the help letters RSTLNE as the three consonants "WHF" and the one vowel of "O" as he solves "WHEEL OF FORTANE" causing Tosh to utter two more obscenities before declaring that Julian has won the actual prize envelope. A 2015 episode of the Netflix series called Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt titled "Kimmy Goes to the Doctor", Lilian (played by Carol Kane) is seen watching Wheel at one point. However, no scenes of any gameplay are shown. A 2015 episode of the hit ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat titled "We Done Son" sees Grandma Huang (played by Lucille Soong) watching an episode of Wheel all by herself. Two years later, a 2017 episode titled "B as in Best Friends" sees both Honey (played by Chelsey Crisp) and Jessica (played by Constance Wu) in their matching denim overalls go on an episode of Wheel during "Best Friends" week set in 1997 which also features hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White respectively. In addition, the actual current set is used, recreated to look somewhat like the '97 era (albeit with fake digital eggcrates placed over the real scoreboards), various dollar amounts under $500 and the return of the Free Spin token and the 1997-era theme song is used in this episode as well. Additionally, Jessica holding the 1992 Tyco edition of the board game makes a brief cameo appearance. The Golbergs have also referenced Wheel twice, in a 2016 episode called "Double Dare", a brief clip of Wheel can be seen in the montage. The_Goldbergs_WOF_scene.png The_Goldbergs_WOF_scene_2.png ADDITIONAL NOTE: Other game shows that were featured in the opening montage were its sister show Jeopardy!, The $25,000 Pyramid, The New Newlywed Game and of course Double Dare. In a 2019 episode called "I Lost of Jeopardy", a brief clip of Wheel is also seen in the montage. The_Goldbergs_Wheel_of_Fortune_80s_Vanna_Smile.png The_Goldbergs_Wheel_of_Fortune_2019.png The_Goldbergs_Wheel_of_Fortune_Puzzleboard.png ADDITIONAL NOTE: Other game shows that were featured in the opening montage were The New Newlywed Game, Family Feud (Dawson), Tic Tac Dough, TTD's companion show The Joker's Wild, Press Your Luck and Wheel's companion show Jeopardy! In 2017, a online comic of Web Toons has parodied Wheel with the main character saying the show's actual catchphrase I'd Like to buy a Vowel! as the host asks Aren't you a millennial? as the main character slaps his face and sighs then asks the question I'd like to rent a vowel!. In a 2019 episode of the BYUtv sketch comedy show called Studio C, Wheel was parioded as Wheel of Prizes. Wheel_of_Prizes.png Wheel_of_Prizes_1.png Wheel_of_Prizes_2.png Wheel_of_Prizes_3.png In addition, Chuck Woolery & Pat Sajak appeared as guests on each other's short-lived talk shows, and Pat himself made a cameo on the premiere of Bob Goen's version. Other game shows that share a similar format to Wheel of Fortune includes: The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime Caesar's Challenge Down You Go Gambit (1979 pilot) Headline Chasers (also created by the late Merv Griffin) The Last Word Money in the Bank (local 1980s pilot for Portland, Oregon's KOIN-TV) On a Roll (1986 pilot) Scrabble That's the Question Category:Wheel of Fortune (2) Category:In Popular Culture